Rivco Air Horns (Video)

[WingAdmin]

I have had a set of Rivco air horns on my GL1500 as long as I've had the bike.

The compressor is mounted inside the fairing, and the horns mount to the engine guard. The company says you can use the stock wiring, but I wanted to maximize the output - keeping my original factory horns AND the new air horn at the same time. This would draw too much current, so I used the original horn circuitry to actuate a 40 amp automotive relay, and then ran a new, fused wire directly from the battery, through the relay, and then to the new air horn as well as both of the factory horns.

The result: it's very loud. VERY. Just how loud? Check it out for yourself:



   Never miss a video: Subscribe to the GoldwingDocs YouTube channel today!

Find This Item on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0067EXK7I?tag=goldwingdocs-20

[Andy Cote]

So I will add one "Thumbs up" to the RIVCO horns.

Some history. All below installs used relays with trigger wire connected to the OEM horn circuit and the OEM horns left in place except as noted.

On my GL1200 I added a self contained Wolo Big Boy in the fairing. Much better than OEM. On my GL1500 I used a Wolo basic kit with the compressor in the right pannier and the two trumpets underneath. Similar results as above but the horn trumpets would fail once a year. Not expensive and somewhat expected based on their location. I later switched to an ambulance electronic air horn with box in pannier and speaker underneath. Getting better. I removed this unit before selling the bike. This unit takes the trigger wire directly to the control box and needs a direct, separate 12 volt supply, incorporating the relay function.

Valkyrie got a chrome Big Boy mounted on the engine guard. For the Valkyrie Interstate I bought both the Wolo Big Boy and the Wolo Big Bad Max thinking I'd keep whichever I liked better. Well I kept both, one on each side by my knees.

On the GL1800 I wanted a discreet install. But there is not as much room to deal with. I could not find a place I liked for the electronic speaker nor for the Wolo stand alone units. The GL1800 OEM horns are not bad so I procrastinated. Then I got an e-mail from RIVCO with a sale. I didn't really want the look but thought I'd give it a shot. On the GL1800 the instructions remove the left side horn and use that location for the compressor. It comes with the relay, using the OEM wires for the trigger signal and a newly installed fused wire for power. The trumpets mount to the right engine guard, same as the GL1500 above.

I am impressed. Someone walked off with my sound meter years ago so qualitative results are all I can give you. The horns are similar in design to the Wolo basic but seem a fair amount louder than that or Wolo Bad Boy. The Big Bad Max is a different frequency so not a valid comparison. It is as good as the electronic unit. Installation is simple - a couple hours including some cleaning along the way. As far as appearance, it's growing on me. Not as distracting as I had imagined based on photos. I have limited chrome on this bike but I think this is going to be fine and a trade off worth the time and money.

[brettchallenger]

About the only time my horn gets used is the annual road worthiness test, to make sure it actually functions. Practically, the only time you hear a horn in the UK is when someone vents his or her frustration at another's driving.

[WingAdmin]

About the only time my horn gets used is the annual road worthiness test, to make sure it actually functions. Practically, the only time you hear a horn in the UK is when someone vents his or her frustration at another's driving.

Over here, where apparently you get a ticket if you are caught driving without a phone in your hand (or at least that's how they behave), I find myself using my horn FAR more than I ever used to. You have to have a way of getting drivers to look outside their car once in a while as they are driving so they don't hit you.

[dingdong]

I would be dead if not for my air horns.

[AZgl1800]

I ordered up a Train Horn that has its' own air compressor.
Requires 12 gauge wire and a 30 amp relay & fuse.

Anxious to see how it can be fitted to my bike

[MikeB]

I ordered up a Train Horn that has its' own air compressor.
Requires 12 gauge wire and a 30 amp relay & fuse.

Anxious to see how it can be fitted to my bike

Me too. Make sure you include pictures. My Rivco's are great but anything louder is a bonus.

[WingAdmin]

I've seen them mounted vertically in front of the saddlebags before, pointing down at the ground.

[DenverWinger]

Hmmm... Thought occurs to me - I have a set of horns removed from a scrapped Vetter fairing, they are LOUD automotive-style horns like you'd find on an old Chevy. Already replaced the wimpy stock 1500 horns with Fiamms and added a relay. Wouldn't mind adding these Vetter horns, too, but nowhere to put them. Can't mount them as an accessory or farkle, they are ugly looking.

Who said they have to be in front? I'll have to look, I'll bet I can hide them somewhere under the rear bags.... Power them from the same relay I put in for the Fiamms.

Will post again If I find a workable spot to mount them....

[brettchallenger]

Might be fitting one of these, what do you chaps think?

[offcenter]

Who said they have to be in front? I'll have to look, I'll bet I can hide them somewhere under the rear bags....

When I got my 1500, it had Rivco horns mounted under the right saddlebag.....and they were all beat up and ground down on the bottom from hitting the pavement when the bike was leaned over in turns.
Think about that if you mount them under the saddlebag. The bottom of that bag gets a lot closer to the ground than you think in a tight turn.

[DenverWinger]

Right, I was thinking more along the lines of seeing if I could possibly sneak them closer to the rear wheel well along bottom of the bags where the trailer hitch U-bolts are. Of course 5 minutes with a flashlight will tell, just haven't been out to the garage yet...

[AZgl1800]

if you have a receiver type trailer hitch, and have a rack for an ice chest.

that would be a good place to put one or two Air Horns.
Use a trailer connector to power up the compressors.

Always use a Relay and fuse to the horns.

[DenverWinger]

Things that make you say "Hmmmm...."

I went out and looked - There's a tab with a bolt hole on either side of my trailer hitch, presumably for a mud flap. Would have to make a bracket between the horn and the mudflap tab.

In this location they won't get ground off in turns, (clearly no room under the bags for them), there's about three inches clearance to the tire. And hardly visible from behind.

Also could fit them up inside behind the license plate, there's enough room for them up there that the tire won't hit. That would diminish the sound though.

[offcenter]

Also remember that anything you mount back there will probably have to be removed if you want to change the rear tire. These bikes are hard enough to change the tire on without adding more complexity to the project.